Call for action on overhanging trees and hedgerows in rural Waterford

At a recent meeting of the Comeragh District Council in Waterford, calls were made to tackle the issue of overhanging trees and hedgerows on rural roads in the county.

Referenced at the meeting, was a recent statement from President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Denis Drennan, who said that following Storm Éowyn, the means of maintaining power lines across the country needs to be overhauled.

Mr. Drennan said that the damage wrought by Storm Éowyn must signal the end of what he called “the delusion” that the ESB and other operators were able to maintain to an acceptable standard the networks of poles and overhead wires running across the country and through farmers’ fields.

He commented that local farmers were the best positioned to monitor the threat presented by trees and hedgerows which disrupt powerlines.

Mr. Drennan said: "Given that their communities and homes were the ones most vulnerable to the kind of power loss we were now contemplating – and experiencing – it was certainly worth the ESB and the Government looking at ways whereby interested farmers, after appropriate training, could monitor and carry out the basic maintenance of hedgerows under power lines."

Local Councillor John O’Leary queried whether such an approach is something that Waterford City & County Council will consider:

Cllr O’Leary said: “We’ve been lucky in this part of the country in relation to Storm Éowyn, but there was almost a million people without electricity and indeed 100,000 of them for a long time, which is almost unbearable in the depths of winter.

 “I was interested in what the ICMSA had to say in relation to overhanging trees and hedgerows. They’re quite clearly saying that our electricity suppliers are unable to maintain overgrown hedges and overhanging trees."

“I raise at this council, in relation to getting community people involved, I’m talking about the farming community who have the ability and machinery and structure.

“Can we as a council in collaboration with the farming community tackle this difficulty and problem that overhanging trees have the potential to cause, because it’s clear that the ESB are not able to reach on this."

Senior Engineer with Waterford Council, Gabriel Hynes, said that involving landowners in the maintenance of trees which obstruct power lines is a matter for the ESB:

“My view is that it would be the responsibility of the ESB. It’s not something from a health and safety point of view that we should be getting involved in. 

"There’s live wires there and from a farming point of view, live wires, trees and cutting is something that needs to be driven by the ESB and not the local authority in terms of community involvement.”

Mr. Hynes added that landowners have the responsibility to cut overhanging trees and branches on the road network, a matter which is being enforced by the Council:

“We’ve sent out significant notices this year and we want to acknowledge the cooperation of the landowners. We have 99% cooperation.

“For those landowners, who have not complied, I have asked the area engineers for prosecution to be brought. So we will be picking out the ones who have not complied and we will go through the courts."